Siege of Alerwyn Castle (Rebellion of Asher Sellix)
During the final days of the War in Pandaria, Dilan Ravenshield found it necessary to travel home once again to convince the Lord's and Ladies under his banner to follow him fully into the Argent Crusade. Every lord thus far was willing to join Dilan except for one. Asher Selzan hesitated and argued with Dilan for two days, attempting to convince the lord to pull from the Crusade and declare himself an independent power in the world. It would be too late before Dilan figured out that Duke Selzan was working with the Undead Scourge for years, harboring and helping the Cult of the Damned in Alerwyn Castle's very walls. As lord of his noble house and a lieutenant in the Argent Crusade, Dilan has recieved special permission from Tirion Fordring to marshall an army and march on Alerwyn Castle to eradicate Selzan's presence in the Western Tirisfal Mountains. First Contact Dilan, joined by his allies, marched from Ravenshield Keep to the Alerland Region of the mountains, declaring war on Selzan and demanding him to surrender quickly. Selzan spat from his battlements and declared the following: "I serve a higher power now, you will die if you attempt to take this city." As he turned away, a rider approached Dilan and informed him of an ambush on sir Veros Gradwin's forces, prompting Dilan to pull back the bulk his men and relieve his friend from the attack. Kree's Dirty Trick The first moments of battle were bittersweet for Dilan and his forces. Danvos Kree, a mercenary turned cultist in service to Salzan, ambushed Sir Veros Gradwin's forces, killing a portion of his men. Allastor Paelor came around the rear of Kree's forces, forcing him beat a hasty retreat to Alerwyn Castle, but not without sustaining casualties of his own. Ninety-eight Gradwini soldiers were either killed or injured in Kree's ambush, luckily, Veros survived the assault and set up his camp near Waterrush village near Alerwyn city's western walls. The Cost of War The next few days were harsh on the Argent forces under Dilan's command. The land was completely altered to hold trenches and hide soldiers. Every step was a step closer to either death or ambush; spies brought back word of a raid occuring on a nearby mining village by necromancers. Dilan mustered a force of 50 cavalry and rode to relieve the village, but arrived too late. The village was sacked with only a few survivors in all that begged to take up arms against Selzan, but Dilan conviced them otherwise, explaining that the land would need to be recultivated and resewn to insure the damages of the war are not permanent. After much deliberation, the villagers agreed and marched off towards Ravenshield Keep with a small group of guard to protect them. Acherus Sends Aid: News spread through the Crusade of Dilan's war on Selzan, it spread so quickly that even his undead brother, Marcus Withersteel took interest in the war. Once word reached Marcus, he ordered he and his allies go aid in the eradication of the Cult of the Damned in Alerland, but after their job was done, they would leave, they did not desire to help rebuild after the battle. Marcus and nineteen other Death Knights flew from Acherus to Alerland to lend their swords to the Argent cause. They arrived in the night and gave some of the guards quite a scare. When questioned as to why they had come, Marcus simply said, "To kill them." and pointed to the city. Rain Hell on them!: During the final assault on Alerwyn itself, Dilan led his army across the battlefield to meet a small host of four hundred men to face his thousands. They were quickly massacred and retreated back towards the city's walls. Before the final seige took place Dilan decided to give a speech. The scene was documented by squire, a boy by the name of Trenton Lake, a servant of the House of Gradwin. Dilan stood atop an outcropping, his sword held over his shoulder and his helm held in the crook of his arm. He looked at the retreating ground forces of Asher Selzan and grinned while standing above the crowed of his soldiers. Dilan then raised his sword up high and a thunderous cheer erupted from the men below him; he looked liked a god, armor battered and beaten, but still he stood like an unscaved, fearless warrior. Dilan lowered his sword and raised a hand to signal for silence. ''“That was his distraction, boys! A few hundred sally out to meet a force of thousands! We did not only beat them,” Announced Dilan, his voice booming and mighty, echoing across the bloodstained battlefield. “We massacred the curs!” He said, beating a hand upon his breastplate and roaring. His men, his allies, and friends all mimicked and roared the same challenge to Selzan’s forces who hid behind the walls of the city. Again, Dilan raised his hand to signal for silence. '' '' '“We may not all be born of Lordaeron, but one way or another, the Cult of the Damned or the Scourge have hurt us. We are here for one thing, brothers and sisters, to end a madman’s rule! Asher Selzan thought he could gather the cult under my family's roof, on the doorstep of the lands we so deperately cling to, and take our kingdom my storm. He thought he could control us like weak dogs and let the cult run rampant through our homes once again, to scheme once again! We responded in kind! We beat back his corruption and amassed an army of holy justice to show these Lightless wretches the meaning of pain!” Dilan glared up at the beige walls of Alerwyn city, pointing his sword to the walls; fresh blood stained the once shining metal of the blade. '' ' ''' “There are monstrosities atop those walls, brothers and sisters!” Yelled Dilan, turning his head to face the catapults. “Rain hell on them!”''' '' The siege lasted only a day before the assault took place. The top of the walls were battered for hours by catapults with ammunition set ablaze and clay pots filled with oil to spread the fires further. There would be no mercy for the cultists or any supporters of Selzan's rule. By the time the gates were breached and the city stormed, it was too late; a trap had been cleverly set by Asher Sellix and his cultists all over the city. Whatever population of undead met them, the soldiers on the side of the Crusade and Ravenshield were wiped out by a horrific red cloud of Undead Plague developed by Asher Sellix and his cult known today as Madman's Plague. It The city gate was sealed the current city was left in its grim state, a horrific resemblance to Stratholme in the Eastern Plaguelands. The Endgame Alerwyn is inhospitable even years later - despite attempts by Argent Crusade aligned forsaken apothecaries who work ceaselessly to understand and perhaps cure this plague. With the densely packed undead within Alerwyn, it is unknown whether or not the plague will be able to be cured any time soon, as the epicenter of the cloud and surrounding areas remains unreachable by air or land. Category:Events Category:Battles Category:House of Ravenshield